The Importance of Understanding History + Navigating History: Egypt—Giveaway!

I love History. It is fascinating to me. But it wasn’t always like that. I remember in school being completely bored with history trying to memorize dates of when people lived and important happenings, reading in the textbooks all the short snippets of facts that seemed to have no connection at all. I only really remember one time that history seemed interesting and that was in elementary school when our class read Johnny Tremain.

That all changed when I started homeschooling my daughters. History came alive—it was exciting, adventurous and so interesting. Why? We used living books to study history; books that were written by people who were truly interested in the subject and brought the stories of the past to life. We read biographies, historical fiction, first hand accounts, etc. It became one of our favorite subjects to learn about. My daughters enjoy history so much they started their own publishing company featuring their paper dolls of Christian women from history, Daughters of His Story.

So what does history have to do with Raising Homemakers?  Don’t homemakers just cook and clean and live boring little lives? NO, they don’t.

Homemakers nurture their families in so many different ways. They are the caregiver, teacher, family historian, character trainer, nutritionist, peacemaker, seamstress, etc. Throughout history homemakers have inspired their husbands, children, and future generations to persevere and thrive.

By studying history with our children, we can help them understand who they are, where they have come from, and see how the Lord has been working in the hearts of men and women  throughout time. We can teach them how to understand the past and different cultures with a biblical worldview.

Four God-fearing, adventurous young men are going to travel to Egypt . . .

Navigating History: Egypt

At the end of this month, a team of young Christian filmmakers will be traveling to Egypt as part of the Navigating History Project, just announced by Western Conservatory. “Navigating History: Egypt” is a 6-episode adventure travel series designed to teach history, geography, current affairs, and worldview analysis from a Biblical perspective. The series will focus on the events and influences that shape nations, illustrating that ideas have consequences and that culture is never neutral.

“What we want to do is show students how to use unchanging theological truth to assess every aspect of culture and history . . . past, present, and future.”
—David Noor

Egypt, the oldest continuous culture in the world, has been influenced at various times in its history by the four dominant ideologies of the globe—ancient paganism, Greco-Roman humanism, the Christian Church, and the rule of Islam—making it an ideal place to show that culture is religion externalized. Along the way, the team will be providing book recommendations and pointers for further study. Unlike television shows where hosts are shot and edited by invisible camera teams, every aspect of production and travel will be visible to those watching from home, as every member of the team serves both on-camera and as production staff.

“Each lesson which students learn about Egypt will help them face the challenges of the questions facing young Americans today — in America. We want students to be sharp analysts of America’s political issues, church issues, and family culture issues. Egyptian culture illustrates the consequences of modern challenges with alarming clarity.” —Isaac Botkin, team leader

Episodes and live Q&A sessions with the team will be aired at 8:00pm CST every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting November 29 and continuing through December 17. Subscribers who join the three-week journey will have access to web site resources and updates. The tight deadlines for each of the episodes will add another element of drama for the viewers anticipating the next installment of the adventure. With live timers and GPS tracking, subscribers can monitor the team as they move between destinations and race against deadlines.

Give-away

Western Conservatory has generously offered to give away a free pass for one of you to be a subscriber to Navigating History: Egypt.

To Enter: (Please leave a separate comment for each thing you do.)

- Comment on this post . . . and (optional) answer the question:
“If you could travel to any country in the world, where would you go, and why?”

- Facebook, Comment, Tweet, Email, Post the link to this giveaway.

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, November 23rd at Midnight EST. (Check back on Wednesday to find out who the winner is!)